As is normal when I'm trying to relax and catch up on old and new events
involving Sasquatch, sea creatures and UFOs (oh come on -I was investigating
them from 1973-2003), not to mention ghosts, I started trawling You Tube.
There really is so much abysmal crap on it with the usual fakers/hoaxers
that really need to be given mental health care workers. Then again, maybe I'm
being to grumpy? I don't mind the people who want to have a laugh or openly
label their videos as "mockumentary" -I can skip past those.
Its the ones who claim it is all real and lack any imagination -guy in a
monkey suit trying to walk like the creature in the Patterson-Gimlin footage
(but no one ever gets it even close) or have no imagination so its "oh,
duude, let's do a quatch Blair Witch film!" I actually fell into a
coma watching two of those yesterday but luckily I fought back to life (my
sister claims I was actually sleeping -but she aint no professional duude).
Which videos would I recommend?
Well, unless you want to waste time avoid Big Foot Hunters. I am sorry but I
always had a lot of faith in the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organisation
(BFRO) until I saw these episodes. Firstly, yeah, I know
"Bigfeet" and "Quatch" or "Quatchie" is very
annoying. I do need to point out, though, that Ivan T. Sanderson (one of
my heroes) did write "Bigfeet" in
Abominable Snowman -Legend Come
To Life. I use "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" for
plural, too.
I got side-tracked somewhat there. Right, first, the old documentaries
which give you the basics.
In Search Of was narrated by non-other
than Leonard Nimoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z0S2zPNP6s
Then you have Peter Graves (Yes, Peter frickin' Graves!) in his Bigfoot
quest, though it does skip out at one point to take a quick look at the Loch
Ness creature) in Mysterious Monsters (1976) and there is a full movie version
available!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjVIX98wFN8
More modern times and I'd go for two
Monster Quest episodes.
Sasquatch Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iTYP2mqkVM
and a later follow up inventively titled
sasquatch Attack II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkxHm5o-k4
Monster Quest Critical Evidence is quite interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8csreQ5qYbo
There are other episodes and documentaries but I think there is a great of
"playing up" for the camera in some and even worse one-liners that
make you cringe: "I've a feeling tonight we're gonna get our
Bigfoot/evidence" and "We stand a better chance than anyone
before" and "Let's lock n load!" anyone shouting that out while
dressed in cammo "hunting" an elusive primate in the dark loses
credibility.
As for analyses of the Patterson-Gimlin "Patty" footage...well,
there are lab tests using high tech to see whether a tall athletic person can
emulate its movements (fails), analyses of the footage which with todays
technology (remember the footage was shot in October 1967 when even Hollywood
had trouble creating realistic looking ape suits) reveals things that were not
originally seen in the shaky footage but if P & G faked this suit then they
were both genius level effects men. For instance the "leg
bump":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR_6GE3whF8&feature=related
We also have Bill Munns excellent analysis of the footage and no one has
ever gone into this amount of in-depth checking before. The sceptics
could always respond "Its a man in a gorilla suit" and you ask
"Why didn't the sceptics use all this tech stuff to explain the footage
away?" Oh, they
are -but they are using Munns' footage
to 'prove' points and failing. Seriously, I was always sceptical on the P-G
footage and I
have tried to view the portions of footage the
sceptics put forward but it is so far inane and not far off name-calling.
I love the "Look -its a loose bit of suit cloth and THEY say its a leaf
stuck to the sole of its foot!" uh, well, it's been established that there
was no such material until the mid 1980s and, though I look hard and pause a
lot I can't see much other than what might be a leaf -it is walking in softish
earth in..uh, a forest...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUwdHex1Zs&feature=related
And I found a link to an interview with John Bindernagel who has to be one
of the most thorough and respected Sasquatch researchers on how he got involved
in the matter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6cA4avGLYg
Now, Jane Goodall was a very famous naturalist and though I had read that
she accepted Sasquatch as a reality I had never heard her say so in her own
words so there was always the thought of misquote at the back of my mind.
Now I have a recording of her speaking on the subject:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NmCmfdFAhQ
Now, I don't want to get all Sasquatch obsessive so...
As some people will know -either through talking to me or reading my book
Some
Things Strange & Sinister and
Some More Things Strange &
Sinister I have a very keen interest in "mystery" sea
creatures. I have absolutely no doubt that there are many undiscovered
creatures in the depths of our seas and oceans. I do get fed up of seeing
seals or wakes in water called "mysterious sea monster" though.
So, what has You Tube to offer on this?
Again, I go back to two Monster Quest editions that look at the subject of
giant squid and octopus:
Season 1 episode 3:
Giant Squid Found
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9zCCv2jp0M&feature=related
And a follow-up of sorts looking for giant octopus season 2 episode 11:
Boneless
Horror
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzw3DQ3lWYc
Series 3 episode 7:
Mega Jaws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybxskJkFqaQ&feature=related
I think that the best comments, applicable also to Bigfoot and other
creature research comes at the end of "Boneless Horror".
After looking at camera footage, diver Dale Pearson says:"I'd like to
leave it (camera) down there a few more days"
Diver and marine researcher Scott Cassell then responds with: "I'd like
to leave it down there for a year."
And that is the key. For over thirty years I was a wildlife advisor to UK
police forces specialising in exotic cats and, sometimes, mustelids and canids
(canids see my book:
The Red Caper:Canids). Farmers,
experienced hunters and others would go to an area where there was cat (leopard
or puma) activity and set up cameras and lie in wait. Nothing. They leave
and the next day the cat turns up.
You can cammo-up as much as you want but, whether large cats or hairy
hominids, they
will both smell and sense you. It's
incredible how they do it but they do -its how they survive. Spray as much
"anti-scent" on yourself as you like but even if it did work these
creatures have eyes and ears...they also note how other animals and birds react
and that tells them "somethings not right".
Trail-cams need to be set up and left for as long as possible. Some wildlife
researchers set up cameras that send back photographs to a base via
satellite-link.
Snellgrove, featured in the
Sasquatch Attack episodes would be a
perfect location for such a long term camera study. We have so much
technology today from audio-recording devices, infra red/heat cameras and night
vision that evidence can be gathered BUT it will take time. Tv companies
want in-and-out with a few days/week because of schedule and cost. After
the stone-throwing incident at Snellgrove what else might have been recorded
had the team stayed on a few more days or weeks?
Now, before I go on to other work that is waiting for me, I need to mention
The Paranormal Report. Its a podcast taking the next step up from those old
American radio shows that took weekly looks at the odd and weird. The
main host is Jim Harold and its a fun show worth checking out:
http://jimharold.com/guests/
and you can watch episodes on you tube.
Hope this has not been all boring?!
The Red Paper:Canids
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-red-papercanines-vol1/18605332?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_
Some Things Strange & Sinister
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/some-things-strange-sinister/14958906?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_
Some More Things Strange & Sinister
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/some-more-things-strange-sinister/14847371?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_338105_
